Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-14
IR. IINITERS INHERITANCE.
Temp. Bari


herited q property The lawyers letter
announcing the fact lay before him,
beside the breakfast which he had for
gotten in the thought Of this unexpect-
ed GOOD fortune. II was not . meagre
breakfast, although Mr.. Jcnifer, at
fiye.and-forty, was still only curate
on stipend OF Gl50 per annum, for
through the greater part of his twenty
wears in holy orders he had acted on
the principle that if he gave his time
to the poor il was as much as they
could expect, and so il they called Par
son Jeniier "hard"- and "close," and
preferred going to the Vicar-why,
that was not his fault.
His inheritance consisted in q good
house and several hundred year, and
he sat and thought over the difference
this wonld make in his future. No
more for him the daily service, read as
palt OF the days work-no more visit
ing Of thriftless, complaining, mud
ding poor, with whom he was COM
pletely ont Of touch-in word, no
more drudgery.
Twenty years Of drudgery! That
was what his life amounted to. Not
for him the spirit Of love that softens
and the high thoughts that sanctify
daily tasks only the grudging gift of
obligatory toll. 1t was written on his
face in lines marked by twenty years
no. not quite twenty-five had thought
differently at first--but by more than a
dozen yearsof discomfort and repining.
II was a pity, too, fer the face was one
of great possibilities, clouded over by
the dulness of heart that fails to see
through the service the Master who is
served.
Even now he had no regret for the
kind old friend who had left him q
poodly share of his property; no
thought that the hand which had ever
been ready to help him and many
another was helpless now henceforth I;
no spirit of gratitude for this last loving
gift-only selfish pleasure in his own
good luck and feeling of discomfort
that it had been so long in coming.
And thus thinking he rose and went 20
see his Vicar to make arrangements for
the visit TO the lawyer, which must pre-
cede his taking possession of his new
inheritance.
He found no difficulty in obtaining
leave of absence for the purpose. The
Vicar was a kind and open-hearted man,
and pleased at his curate's unexpected
prosperity.
"Well, Jenifer," he said, | am very
glad for you, though you can't appre-
ciate it as much as if you had a wife
and family dependent on you. All the
same, you have my hearty congratula-
tiOns."
"Ab." said Mr.. Jenifer, "things
generally come too late. Now, if this
had happened when | was ten years
younger, what a difference it would
have made to me
But Your friends life was avery val
liable one to many, was it not p said
the Vicar. Prom all | have heard of
him. / should think that even now
there will be plenty of people to say
that tie end has come ten years too
soon, rather than too late"
why, be was nearly ninety " said
Jeni'cr, as if the fact were rather n re-
proach to the old man. Then he has
tened away to make his preparations
for leaving.
Tie Wears wife came as the curate
went out. She found her husband
gazing rather sadly into the dull street.
Mary, my dear" he said, sit is my
belief that after the miracles OF the
loaves and fishes there were some
among the five thousand who com
plaine d that the bread was stale and
the fish not SO fresh as it might have
been"
Meanwhile Clement Jenifer was
speeding on to London to see his law
yer. He found there was one condi-
tion which be must fulfil before he
could call himself master of house and
income. Mr.. Dacre had only willed
Waterdell Hall to him under the pro-
viso that he should pass one night in
the house entirely alone.
Mr.. Jenifer laughed when this clause
was read to him.
"Jhats not very hard thing to do, "
raid be. "But was Mr.. Dacre's BRAIN
softening when he made his WILL"
"Not at all, answered the lawyer
shortly. "Any one who saw Mr.. Dacre
in his last hours will tell you that the
dear old mans mind was as clear to the
end as in his best days. When you go
to Waterdell you will not please Your
poor neighbors there if you suggest to
them that the man who was SO uni
versally beloved and revered was crazy.
\ vi
instructed me to deliver to you person
ally, will explain the matter"
Ibis was, however, not the case.
The note was but short one, and gave
no reason for the testator's wish, ex-
cept that he had inherited Waterdell
Hall under the same stipulation-that
he had ever been thankful for having
carried it out, and hoped that though
his friend Clement Jenifer was older
than he himself bad been when he
came into the property, ("for,' he
wIote. with a touch OF his ordinary
humor. 81 have been, like Charles H.,
an uncomfortable time dying, y yet,
that solitary night passed in his fu-
lure home would prove as great a bless
ing to him as it had been to the writer,
ard so, without further explanation,
tiened himself his ailectionate friend,
Thomas Dacre.
That was oil. Clement Jenifernever
liked being made ridiculous, and he
thought that this will went very near
that possibility. Yet he could not lose
his inheritance FOR fear OF being
absurd so after certain business IN
shuctions from the lawyer he went to
his hotel for that night and next morn
ing started fer Waterdell. he put mp
at q little inn in the nearest market
town before proceeding to his destina-
ton. where, the lawyer had informed
him, he would find all things in readi-
ness to receive him for his lonely vigil,
II vigil it was to be. The inn was full
OF farmers Of the neighborhood come
in 10 the market, and after much dis
course on grain and turnips the CONVEX
sation, Mr.. Jenifer found-he being,
of course, unknown-turned on the
death OF Mr.. Dacre.
.sThey do say" said one red-faced,
cray.whiskered man OF substantial ap
pearance--"t they do say that the ghost
has begun to walk again since the
Equire's DEATH"
mt A llav oaya1 a vcunoa,